How to Read E-Books on a Chromebook: Play Books and Foliate

You can read e-books on a Chromebook without installing a desktop reader. For an EPUB or PDF you want to keep in a synced library, upload it to Google Play Books and read it in Chrome. For a local collection or more file formats, install Foliate through ChromeOS’s Linux environment. A PDF already saved on the device can also open in the built-in Gallery app.

Choose the method that matches the book: Play Books is the simplest option for EPUB and PDF files and works across signed-in devices; Gallery is convenient for a single local PDF; Foliate is useful for local EPUBs and formats such as MOBI, Kindle, FB2, and CBZ. Store-bought books may have copy protection, so a supported file extension does not guarantee that every retailer’s book will open in another app.

Read EPUB and PDF files in Google Play Books

This browser-based option avoids Linux setup. Google Play Books accepts EPUB and PDF uploads and makes uploaded books available on devices where you use the same Google Account.

1. In Chrome, open Google Play Books and sign in to the account where you want the book stored.
2. Open your profile menu, choose Library & devices, then Books. Select Upload files.

3. Choose an .epub or .pdf file from the Chromebook’s file picker and select Select. Google’s computer instructions for uploading books list this same path.

4. After the upload finishes, open the title from your Uploads library. If the book offers flowing text, use Display options to adjust the font or text size; a fixed-layout book may only offer its original page view. Play Books also supports bookmarks, notes, and highlights for supported uploads.

Uploaded EPUBs and PDFs can be read on another device after you sign in to the same account. For a one-off PDF stored locally, open it from the Files app; ChromeOS normally opens PDFs in Gallery. Google explains how to change the default to Chrome’s PDF viewer in its Chromebook PDF guide.

Install Foliate for local e-book reading

Foliate runs as a Linux desktop app. Its Flathub listing includes support for EPUB, PDF, Mobipocket, Kindle, FB2, and CBZ files, plus page and scroll views, font controls, bookmarks, and annotations. Use this method if you want a separate reader for books stored on the Chromebook.

First check that Linux is available. A school- or work-managed Chromebook may have Linux disabled by its administrator, and older or unsupported devices may not show the setting. Google says Linux setup can take 10 minutes or more; it installs a Debian environment and opens Terminal when setup completes.

1. At the bottom right of the screen, select the time, then open Settings. Go to About ChromeOS > Developers. Beside Linux development environment, select Set up and follow the prompts. See Google’s Linux setup instructions if the menu differs.

2. Open the Terminal app and select the Penguin terminal if prompted. Refresh the package list and install Flatpak:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install flatpak

3. Add Flathub as a user-level Flatpak source. The command follows the Flatpak documentation for adding a remote:

flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

4. Install Foliate using its Flathub application ID. Confirm any prompts in Terminal:

flatpak install --user flathub com.github.johnfactotum.Foliate

5. In the Files app, either drag the book into Linux files or right-click the folder that contains it and choose Share with Linux. Launch Foliate from the Launcher’s Linux apps and open the book with its file chooser. If you shared a folder, browse to that folder when selecting the file.

Foliate’s reader can change fonts and line spacing, switch between paginated and scrolling layouts, and keep bookmarks or annotations. The current Foliate listing on Flathub describes supported formats and features. Google notes that Linux apps share a security sandbox on ChromeOS, so install software only from sources you trust.

Fix common problems

• Linux is missing from Settings: update ChromeOS, check whether your Chromebook supports Linux, or ask your school or work administrator whether the feature is managed.
• Terminal says “flatpak: command not found”: rerun sudo apt install flatpak, wait for it to finish, then try the Flatpak command again.
• Foliate cannot find the book: move it to Linux files or share its folder with Linux from the Files app, then reopen Foliate’s file chooser.
• A purchased book will not open: it may be protected by the store’s DRM or supplied as an authorization file. Follow the retailer’s supported reader instructions; changing the filename or extension does not remove protection. Google’s Play Books export guidance explains why some books require additional software.

For most readers, Play Books is the quickest way to read EPUBs and PDFs on a Chromebook. Choose Foliate when you need a local reader with broader format support and your device allows Linux apps.